A. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to covers for cargo beds of trucks, and more particularly to a telescoping cover for the cargo bed of a light truck, with removable side panels.
B. Description of Related Art
Conventional light trucks, commonly known as pickup trucks feature an open cargo bed that has short sides and an open top and that is accessible from the top and/or through a tail gate or door at the rear of the cargo bed, the cargo bed extending from the back of the cab to the tail gate. Numerous covers exist to close the open top of the cargo bed to protect cargo, tools, or other contents from the weather elements and to protect against theft as well. Such conventional covers are commonly referred to as shells as they consist of a simple outer covering extending laterally between the sides and lengthwise from the cab to the tailgate. Since the cargo bed top is usually the full size of the cargo bed and larger than the tailgate opening, it is desirable for a covering to be easily removable to either accommodate oversized loads that require greater volume than is available within a covered cargo bed or to allow loading the cargo bed through the open top. Such covers may be made to be relatively light in an attempt to ease the processes of installing and removing the cover; however, since the usual usage is utilitarian, durable construction is preferred. In addition, the conventional covers are formed in a single piece in the size of the cargo bed to be covered. Accordingly, the process of installation requires lifting the entire cover into position atop the cargo bed sidewalls, which is difficult if not impossible to be performed by a single person. The removal process likewise requires lifting the cover up and off the cargo bed sidewalls and similarly cannot easily be performed. In addition to the weight of conventional one-piece covers, such covers are very awkward to handle by a single person.
Further, the need to cover the cargo bed of a light truck may be limited to an area that is significantly less that the entire bed as when boxes of small tools, power equipment, or the like need to be protected but leave a useful amount of the cargo bed for cargo or other large items that do not need to be protected or cannot fit within a covering. Accordingly it would be desirable to be able to cover only a portion of the cargo bed when needed. An additional variable in truck bed cover desired configurations is the height of the side walls of a truck bed cover, which range from tonneau type flat covers with little or no height above the truck sidewalls to camper type covers with high side walls.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a cargo bed cover that is easily installable and removable by a single person and of adjustable length and height to protect less than all of the cargo bed when desired and to open and uncover some or most of the cargo bed, as desired.